Time: 43:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Full
01. Buried Above Ground (3:24)
02. Down To The Bottom (3:45)
03. Changes The Universe (4:06)
04. Never Tomorrow (2:51)
05. Hammer On The Stone (4:07)
06. Have Mercy (3:46)
07. River Of Oblivion (4:36)
08. Nowhere To Go (2:36)
09. Open Hearted Woman (4:29)
10. Dose Of Forget (2:53)
11. Love Is Rebellion (3:46)
12. Riverbend Blues (3:24)
Growing up as a third-generation Louisiana musician certainly gives you a leg up and insight into the depth of American roots music. Guitarist/singer Eric Johanson, a native of Alexandria LA, now resides in the Crescent City making a living as a music man since his teens. He has long been a protégé of Tab Benoit and spent time in the bands of Cyril Neville and Terrance Simien. Johanson released his debut album, “Burn It Down,” (Whiskey Bayou Records) in 2017 and recorded an acclaimed album with his cousin Tiffany Pollack, “Blues In My Blood,” (Nola Blue Records) in 2019.
For his solo Nola Blue Records’ debut, “Below Sea Level,” Johanson teamed up with two other scions of southern rock and blues, Luther and Cody Dickinson. Sessions at the famed Zebra Ranch Studios in the North Mississippi Hill Country captured the raw energy of the music in a fresh and timeless way that the Dickinsons refer to as the sound of the Memphis Underground. The combination of Luther Dickinson’s production skills with Johanson ‘s earnest song writing, embracing vocal style and formidable guitar skills mixed with the joyous bombast of Cody’s drumming and the deft bass playing of Terrence Grayson from the Victor Wainwright band, created a sumptuous sonic stew. These young guns were infants or a twinkle in their mothers’ eyes when guitar heroes like Johnny Winter, Pat Travers and Gary Moore ruled the FM airwaves, but somehow they were inoculated with that big 70’s blues rock gestalt and are bringing it back to life.
Johanson opens the set of twelve original tracks with the raucous ‘Buried Above Ground’ that has Cody matching Eric’s rolling and tumbling guitar riff, while he declares his New Orleans pride. A sizzling slide guitar intro pulls us into the swaggering shuffle ‘Down To The Bottom’ and Ray Jacildo layers in Hammond B3 behind Johanson’s smooth lead guitar and soulful vocals on the swinging power ballad ‘Changes The Universe.’ The headbanging riff and foot stomping sing-along of ‘Never Tomorrow’ is a bit of arena rock indulgence, before we dive into the stoner rock deep end epic ‘Hammer On The Stone’ in all its Hendrix-meets-Black-Sabbath glory. Johanson details the harsh realities of life on the street and his beloved Crescent City in the industrial tinged ‘Have Mercy’ and recounts the horrors of addiction on the heavy lament ‘River Of Oblivion,’ bearing witness to the many tragedies he has seen in his young life.
You somehow feel the spirit of Chuck Berry coming through on the Hill Country two-beat romp ‘Nowhere To Go,’ with its ripping lead guitar and cockeyed optimistic “Hail Hail Rock N Roll” feel. He then channels Freddie King on the slinky funk number ‘Open Hearted Woman’ that has a groove as thick as knee-deep shag carpet. The fella’s instrumental skills are on display during the jagged Led Zeppelin styled opening of ‘Dose Of Forget,’ building into a power trio fury. Johanson delivers a treatise on our divisive world on the acoustic driven ‘Love Is Rebellion’ boldly making his own statement on the nature of freedom. He closes out the session by picking up his resonator guitar for a solo reading of ‘Riverbend Blues;’ the plaintive tome paints a picture of simpler times and bitter-sweet memories.
This strong sophomore release, “Below Sea Level,” from Eric Johanson, will surely cast him as a rising star in the blues and southern rock scene and help secure his place in the next pantheon of guitar gods. ~Rick J Bowen
For his solo Nola Blue Records’ debut, “Below Sea Level,” Johanson teamed up with two other scions of southern rock and blues, Luther and Cody Dickinson. Sessions at the famed Zebra Ranch Studios in the North Mississippi Hill Country captured the raw energy of the music in a fresh and timeless way that the Dickinsons refer to as the sound of the Memphis Underground. The combination of Luther Dickinson’s production skills with Johanson ‘s earnest song writing, embracing vocal style and formidable guitar skills mixed with the joyous bombast of Cody’s drumming and the deft bass playing of Terrence Grayson from the Victor Wainwright band, created a sumptuous sonic stew. These young guns were infants or a twinkle in their mothers’ eyes when guitar heroes like Johnny Winter, Pat Travers and Gary Moore ruled the FM airwaves, but somehow they were inoculated with that big 70’s blues rock gestalt and are bringing it back to life.
Johanson opens the set of twelve original tracks with the raucous ‘Buried Above Ground’ that has Cody matching Eric’s rolling and tumbling guitar riff, while he declares his New Orleans pride. A sizzling slide guitar intro pulls us into the swaggering shuffle ‘Down To The Bottom’ and Ray Jacildo layers in Hammond B3 behind Johanson’s smooth lead guitar and soulful vocals on the swinging power ballad ‘Changes The Universe.’ The headbanging riff and foot stomping sing-along of ‘Never Tomorrow’ is a bit of arena rock indulgence, before we dive into the stoner rock deep end epic ‘Hammer On The Stone’ in all its Hendrix-meets-Black-Sabbath glory. Johanson details the harsh realities of life on the street and his beloved Crescent City in the industrial tinged ‘Have Mercy’ and recounts the horrors of addiction on the heavy lament ‘River Of Oblivion,’ bearing witness to the many tragedies he has seen in his young life.
You somehow feel the spirit of Chuck Berry coming through on the Hill Country two-beat romp ‘Nowhere To Go,’ with its ripping lead guitar and cockeyed optimistic “Hail Hail Rock N Roll” feel. He then channels Freddie King on the slinky funk number ‘Open Hearted Woman’ that has a groove as thick as knee-deep shag carpet. The fella’s instrumental skills are on display during the jagged Led Zeppelin styled opening of ‘Dose Of Forget,’ building into a power trio fury. Johanson delivers a treatise on our divisive world on the acoustic driven ‘Love Is Rebellion’ boldly making his own statement on the nature of freedom. He closes out the session by picking up his resonator guitar for a solo reading of ‘Riverbend Blues;’ the plaintive tome paints a picture of simpler times and bitter-sweet memories.
This strong sophomore release, “Below Sea Level,” from Eric Johanson, will surely cast him as a rising star in the blues and southern rock scene and help secure his place in the next pantheon of guitar gods. ~Rick J Bowen
Below Sea Level MP3
Below Sea Level FLAC
No comments:
Post a Comment